Announcing VAND’s New Executive Director

Category: eblast

Over the past six weeks, VAND’s Executive Director Search Committee comprising Carlene Thomas (Chair) Lesley McPhatter, Kimberly Lunsford and me, has been recruiting for a new Executive Director. We are pleased to let you know that Jillian Davis, RDN, has accepted the position!

Jillian is very excited to serve the VAND community of nutrition professionals as the new Executive Director! She has enjoyed past experiences in many different areas of nutrition including the clinical setting, food marketing and promotion, and community education. She has worked as a School Marketing Manager with the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, supporting nutrition education programs throughout northern Virginia, and most recently served as Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in Charlottesville and surrounding counties, as well as in Fairfax County. Her experience with individuals, families, and nutrition professionals throughout the state has provided her with a unique view of the diverse communities we serve in Virginia. In addition to her work as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Jillian enjoys walking, jogging, knitting, reading, gardening, and experiencing the fullness of life with her family.

She will begin learning the ropes over the next few weeks by working with Jackie Darling, Interim Executive Director; Shirley Scrafford, Cvent Coordinator; Kristen Chang, Website Coordinator; Cindy MacIntyre, Treasurer, and the rest of the Executive Board.

Please plan on attending the Annual Meeting so you can meet Jillian in person!

Almost 100 RDNs, DTRs, interns and students spent a rewarding day in Richmond visiting our legislators. We split into two groups so when we were introduced (the famous “shout out) to the Assembly and the Senate, 50 of us stood in unison in each gallery to represent Virginia’s nutrition experts who promote the health of Virginians! This record-level attendance required leadership and coordination and for that we thank Angie Hasemann, State Policy Rep; Faye Krause and Alex Wahlberg Assistant SPRs, Christine Gries, State Regulatory Specialist, our five District Legislative Representatives, Blue Ridge (Sara Mastrantonio), Northern (Jackie Darling), Richmond (Nana Ofosu-Benefu), Southwest (Susan Noble) and Tidewater (Amber Rivera) Andrew Lamar, Legislative Consultant, and Amy Scott-MacLean. Attendees were surprised to actually meet with legislators who had time to talk about legislation VAND was supporting.

Read more about Legislative Day in the NEWSLETTER posted on the website and check back for even more information that will provide a more in depth discussion about VAND’s MOST SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE DAY to date and lots of photos! Please plan on attending next year’s Legislative Day!

Blogging… Another Way to Make an Impact!

By now you all know that we have launched a very successful blog on our website! What you might not know is why we started this blog and why we want YOU to contribute to it. Blogging increases our online presence and helps us establish authority as the nutrition experts in the Commonwealth, provide educational opportunities for other RDNs, healthcare professionals, and the public, and promote the professional brand of VAND. It helps public policy and advocacy professionals, like our state legislators and their aides, learn who we are and what we do. Publishing on our blog can also help YOU build your professional brand and online presence. With National Nutrition Month this month, we would love to flood the blog with pictures of NNM activities throughout Virginia, and educational posts and healthy recipes to help Virginians “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”! Submit your materials to our Professional Education Chairpersons at vand.professionaleducation@gmail.com – we can even help edit your post if you would like us to!

Have you seen the speaker line up? Have you seen the workshop topics? This is a meeting not to be missed! Margo Wootan, D. Sc. Center for Science in the Public Interest (restaurant nutrition labeling); Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN (FODMAPS), Scott Kahan, MD, MPH (What RDNs need to know about medications for weight reduction), Alanna Moshfegh, MS, RD (Chew on This Changes in Americans’ Eating Habits) to name a few!

ALL WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE ROOM BLOCK ARE GOING FAST!

Up to 23 CPEUs are being offered over three days. VAND’s 87th Annual Meeting will host many nationally renowned speakers and local experts presenting hot topics in food and nutrition to advance practice in all areas. Log onto VAND’s website at www.eatrightvirginia.org and click on the Annual Meeting announcement to check out the meeting site. Here you can view the program agenda, meet the speakers, access hotel information and register online with a credit card.

Early bird registration fees are available NOW through March 18th

Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks,

11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway,

Fairfax, VA 22033

Academy Elections

The final numbers are in and 14.48% of VAND’s membership voted in the Academy elections coming in 3rd place in Category 3 behind Georgia’s 26.15% (Donna Martin from GA was selected as AND’s President-Elect so they had lots of GOTV energy) and Alabama’s 16.09%. In 2015, VAND had 9.1% of its members vote so a 37% increase in participation is great improvement.

Upcoming Events

March VAND Elections—will be announcedMarch Webinar—will be announced soon, stay tuned!

March 2016 National Nutrition Month: “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right” www.eatrightpro.org has lots of resources for RDNs and NDTRs to use.

April 10-12: Annual Meeting:, Fair Oaks Marriott, Fairfax, VA

April 10: Board Meeting 5:30 pm

July 8-9: Board Retreat – Roslyn Center – Richmond, VA

As always, I am interested in your insights, your questions, and requests.

We are pleased to present the slate of candidates for the upcoming elections for VAND’s membership year from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017! Voting will open in March, and will include an option for write-in candidates as always.

President-Elect: Crista Galvin-Cox, MS, RD, FAND

Crista Galvin-Cox has had the privilege of working in many areas of dietetics over the years. She has worked in acute, wellness, private practice, community, and outpatient settings. Crista has worked for the past six years as the Director of Clinical Nutrition at Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care Center, a long-term care facility in Richmond where she is also a preceptor for VCUHS dietetic interns. Crista is an adjunct instructor at John Tyler Community College. She has held several leadership positions with VAND where she was the outreach coordinator and new member advisor. She was also program coordinator, media coordinator, served on the nominating committee and was President-Elect and President of GRAND.

Crista graduated from James Madison University with her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and she completed her internship at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. She then received her Masters of Science in Nutrition Education from Finch University/Chicago Medical School. She became a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2014.

Crista’s Personal Statement:

When I am asked about our profession, I am always so happy to discuss what we as registered dietitians and dietetic technicians do. We have such varied and exciting roles that positively impact the health of so many people. I have had the pleasure of being directly involved with VAND and GRAND over the years and would be honored to represent the RDs and DTRs of Virginia. We all know that our profession keeps changing and growing every year – from education requirements to licensure to reimbursement and sustainability – my goal is to continue to learn and positively impact our profession by representing you.

Treasurer-Elect: Jean Harnisch, RD

Jean is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh with a BS in Nutrition and completed the US Army Dietetic Internship program. She served 4 years in the Active Army and then continued in the Individual Ready Reserve/Individual Mobilization Augmentee. She is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. She has worked in most all possible settings as a Dietitian to include acute care, skilled care, long-term care, ICF-MR, and Food Service Management.

Currently she is self-employed and working primarily in Long Term Care under the business name of Jean Harnisch Dietitian Consultant LLC.

She is a Serv Safe Instructor/Proctor and uses these skills daily to enhance the quality of food service systems at her contract assignments.

Jean¹s interests include long-distance swimming for fitness and health, and breeding Boston Terriers. For fun, she travels somewhere each quarter of the year to visit friends and family.

Please see the February 2016 Delegate’s Report below. Topics include Lead Exposure, the Spring HOD Meeting, Sponsorship, a new Position Paper, Primary Care Resources, and the latest from ACEND.

Flint, Michigan & Lead Exposure

The Academy is actively supporting our members’ efforts related to the lead exposure crisis in Flint, Michigan and we are continuing to raise the issue to a national level. Information about how to fight lead exposure with nutrition is available on the Academy website. The Michigan affiliate membership total is 2,174 and of that, five members reside in Flint.

Spring 2016 HOD Virtual Meeting

The House Leadership Team met in January to begin plans for the Spring 2016 HOD Virtual Meeting. While the HOD Leadership Team originally planned to discuss telehealth as the mega issue, there has been a change. For day 1, the HOD Leadership Team will engage the HOD in discussions to help inform a vision for the profession in the next century. On day 2, the HOD will explore digital health and technology, focusing on how we can transform dietetics practice by being at the cutting edge in these evolving areas.

Please see below excerpts from the January 19 letter from AND President, Evelyn Crayton, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND, to members; more specifics regarding sponsorship to follow.

“…The Board received the SATF report at our January 13 meeting and found it to be thoughtful, balanced, and helpful. The Board voted to implement a pilot program encompassing many of the SATF’s recommendations. The one-year pilot program includes appointing a Sponsorship Committee to review national-level sponsor opportunities and to develop assessment tools that will support the sponsorship process.The Board of Directors approved the following newly revised sponsorship guidelines, which take effect immediately for all Academy organizational units. Dietetic Practice Groups and Member Interest Groups will be required to adhere to these guidelines and Affiliates are encouraged to adopt them.

Sponsorship approval requires that:

The sponsor’s vision and mission align with the Academy’s Vision, Mission and Strategic Goals.The sponsor’s product portfolio is broadly aligned with the Academy’s Vision: Optimizing health through food and nutrition.The sponsor relationship and sponsor product portfolio are broadly aligned with official Academy positions.All aspects of the sponsorship (such as research, consumer messaging or professional education for members) align with the Academy’s Scientific Integrity Principles.The Academy does not endorse any company, brand or company products, nor does the Academy’s name or logo appear on any product. Such endorsement is neither actual nor implied.The Academy maintains final editorial control and approval of all content in materials bearing the Academy name or logo.There is clear separation of Academy messages and content from brand information or promotion.Relevant facts and important information are included.The Board is confident that these revised guidelines and the new Sponsorship Committee pilot program will enable the Academy to better serve the organization and our members.

The Board is committed to transparency in our processes and we welcome member feedback. Please send an email to president@eatright.org. …”

Interventions for Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

Excess weight and obesity among adults results from many influences including personal factors, the communities where people live, and government policies. Therefore, successful weight loss must include multiple strategies addressing each of these influences, as well as the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists, according to an updated position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The position paper, “Interventions for Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults,” was recently published in the AND Journal. The position paper states: It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that successful treatment of overweight and obesity in adults requires adoption and maintenance of lifestyle behaviors contributing to both dietary intake and physical activity. These behaviors are influenced by many factors; therefore, interventions incorporating more than one level of the socioecological model and addressing several key factors in each level may be more successful than interventions targeting any one level and factor alone. The position paper updates the Academy’s 2009 position on this issue.

Free Webinar!

How to Integrate RDN Services in the New Primary Care

Payment models are rapidly changing in health care and require a team of healthcare professionals working collaboratively within the primary care practice. This webinar, at 1:00 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, February 23, will describe some of these new payment models and discuss the opportunities to integrate RDNs and nutrition counseling into primary care practices. 1.5 CPEUs pending. Click to register here.

Updated Toolkit Now Available

RDNs in the New Primary Care: A Toolkit for Successful Integration

The toolkit has new information and practical tips to help RDNs be successful in new models of health care delivery that emphasize team-based care. Learn how to expand the role of the RDN in Patient Medical Homes and Accountable Care Organizations and gain a better understanding of Alternative Payment Models that have the potential to expand patient access, as well as payment for services. Free to members available here.

ACEND Updates

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®)

ACEND is pleased to announce the release of the DRAFT 2017 Accreditation Standards for public comment. The draft 2017 Standards are the result of a planned five-year review cycle of the current 2012 Accreditation Standards to ensure compliance with USDE regulations. Please note that the 2017 standards are different from the future education model associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree standards that will be released for public comment later this year. The draft standards, the February Standards Update, and a Webinar, which provides an overview of the 2017 Standards development process and key changes from the 2012 Standards, are posted on the ACEND standards committee webpage. We value all stakeholder input and encourage you to provide input on the 2017 Standards at the following survey link.

The February Standards Update also addresses questions received at the January 14 Virtual Town Hall Meeting. The virtual town hall meetings are open to all stakeholders and are held the second Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Central Time. The next meeting will occur February 11. Information for connecting to the virtual town hall is posted on the ACEND standards committee webpage. If you have questions, please send them to acend@eatright.org or call 312-899-4872

Stay in contact with HOD for good information and resources: www.eatright.org/hod

VAND is heading to Richmond on February 24th. At 9 a.m. Senator Stanley (District 22) will get our Legislative Day rolling. He is the patron for the Medical Homes legislation in the Senate and the Patient Centered Medical Advisory Board (Senate Bill 20). Our Legislative Consultant Extraordinaire, Andrew Lamar, recommended that a representative from VAND be on the Board and the most current version of SB 20 includes that language! Thank you, Andrew! Senator Stanley is also sponsoring SB 19 that involves a pilot program for telemedicine.

If you have never experienced the opportunity to meet at the state capitol, sit in the gallery of the Assembly or Senate and enjoy the thrill of a “VAND shout out” by one of our legislators to his or her colleagues, then please plan on registering for VAND’s Legislative Day. You will be able to accompany seasoned RDNs while making visits to individual legislators to let them know what we do to promote the health of Virginians. Carpools will be organized by districts—contact your DLR (District Legislative Representative (Blue Ridge Sara Mastrantonia; Northern Jackie Darling; Richmond Nana Ofosu-Benefo; Southwest Susan Noble; andTidewater Amber Rivera). Throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to network with other RDNs and Andrew Lamar, VAND’s Legislative Consultant, will apprise us of pertinent legislation to keep an eye on.

If you want to make a difference, if you want to make an IMPACT on the health of Virginians, please register for Legislative Day at here.

Speaking of making an IMPACT. . .

School Nutrition Advocates Needed

Do you work with school nutrition? School Health Advisory Board members, community leaders, or just involved parent RDNs are the topic of a list we’re working to compile to assist with our child nutrition work with Virginia’s First Lady. If you’re involved with school nutrition in some way, please send your name, contact information, school district, and a bit about your involvement to one of our Assistant State Policy Representatives, Faye Krause at runner_50k@verizon.net.

Monarch Media, has received a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to conduct a study on the effectiveness of an online training program in improving motivational interviewing skills for dietitians. We’re currently recruiting study participants across the country.

In addition to the stipend and coded sessions mentioned in the recruiting documents, participants may also receive 3 CE credits (approval pending).

Annual Meeting April 10-12 Fair Oaks Marriott Fairfax VA

The VAND Annual Meeting Planning Committee meets at least once a month and has been doing so since July. Jackie and Karen Heagney are co-chairing the AM. Other committee members include Shari Goldsmith, Karyn Theis, Teresa Lucas, Shirley Scrafford, Janet Sass, Anu Kaur, and me. We spend a good three hours strategizing for the AM.

To maintain reasonable registration fees and the overall cost-effectiveness of Annual Meeting, we depend on vendors for sponsorships and the purchase of exhibit spaces. Members owning small businesses receive a 50% discount for exhibit spaces. You pay only $225 ($450 value) for the opportunity to showcase your products and/or services to 300+ professional colleagues. You are also welcome to use a “buddy system” and share a space with another member to split the cost. Interested members should contact Jackie Darling, VAND Interim Executive Director, at eatright.virginia@gmail.com (use hyperlink) or (703) 815-8293. In addition, Jackie welcomes any potential vendor contacts (corporate or non-profit) to extend an invitation to participate. Please email her with contact name, email address and preferred phone number.

Check out the sensational program that offers up to 20 CPEUs over three days by going to www.eatrightvirginia.org (use hyperlink) and clicking on the Annual Meeting section. You will be connected to the Cvent meeting site that includes the agenda, fees, lodging information and link to online registration with a credit card or PayPal account. I hope to see you in Fairfax in April for a premiere education and networking opportunity to advance your practice.”

Opportunities to Serve:

*Treasurer-Elect: If you really want to learn about VAND, consider running for Treasurer-Elect. My three years as NVAND Treasurer prepared me for NVAND President and then VAND President. There is no better way to understand an organization than by serving as Treasurer. In this position, for the first year, you will be mentored by our current Treasurer-Extraordinaire, Cindy MacIntyre. I have known Cindy for years (we are both from NOVA) and I can’t think of a better person to learn from when it comes to being VAND Treasurer! You can self-nominate!

Please help me extend a warm welcome to our

New Assistant Member Services Chair, Bernice Akinbileje! She will be learning the ins and outs of Member Services from current Chair, Tarren Corbin! Thank you for volunteering, Bernice.